Visible spectrum cameras are used in a variety of imaging applications to capture color or monochrome images derived from visible light. Visible spectrum cameras are often used for daytime or other applications when there is sufficient ambient light or when image details are not obscured by smoke, fog, or other environmental conditions detrimentally affecting the visible spectrum.
Infrared cameras are used in a variety of imaging applications to capture infrared (e.g., thermal) emissions from objects as infrared images. Infrared cameras may be used for nighttime or other applications when ambient lighting is poor or when environmental conditions are otherwise non-conducive to visible spectrum imaging. Infrared cameras may also be used for applications in which additional non-visible-spectrum information about a scene is desired. Conventional infrared cameras typically produce infrared images that are difficult to interpret due to, for example, lack of resolution, lack of contrast between objects, and excess noise.